Zippers are commonly used to fasten opposing fabric portions. One typical use for zippers is to close two separate fabric portions on the front of a garment such as a coat or jacket.
When closing a garment using known zipper arrangements on the front of a garment, the wearer must locate a zipper closure at the bottom of the garment and couple a small insertion pin on one side of the zipper to a retaining box on the opposite side of the zipper. The small size of the insertion pin and retaining box often makes it difficult to quickly couple the two parts. This is especially true when the garment is bulky, such as a winter coat. The wearer may also be wearing gloves, further limiting the wearer's ability to easily couple the insertion pin and retaining box. Moreover, the relatively remote location of the insertion pin and retaining box at the bottom of the garment may make it difficult for the wearer to see the parts. This is especially true if the parts are somewhat blocked from view by a bulky garment, or if the wearer has poor eyesight.
When opening the garment with a known front zipper arrangement, the wearer must first locate and grasp a small pull on the zipper slider near the neck. The pull may then be used to move the slider downward to release the teeth from their interlocking engagement. However, locating the zipper pull may be difficult if the garment is bulky or if the wearer is wearing gloves. Moreover, the pull may be close the wearer's neck if the garment is completely zipped, thus limiting the wearer's ability to see the pull.
In view of the foregoing, it would be advantageous to provide a zipper arrangement where the zipper closure may be more easily accessed and assembled by the wearer. It would also be advantageous if such zipper arrangement could be easily opened and closed by the wearer, even if the zipper is provided on a bulky garment.